A Hazy Shade Of Autumn
by cazness
Summary: post season 4 tony and michelle fluff. guys, ive decided to end it here, because the death of both characters was the biggest blow to my motivation ever. so whilst they rest in peace, so does this story.
1. patchwork

**Hey guys, long time reader first time writer here. After months of reading, I finally decided it time to give a little in return. As it's my first, I'd appreciate constructive criticism but please be kind! Oh and as much as id like to, I don't own any of the characters etc. so please don't sue me, ive got no money to give!**

Storm clouds couldn't describe the mood Michelle was in as she stomped into the cool, grey, cemented carpark of CTU. She had just spent hours debriefing with division, having to clear up Jack's 'death' (among other things) with one Brad Hammond. By the time she was finally released from his monotonous drone, the office was practically empty, and Tony was nowhere to be found.

As she headed towards her car she fished around in her handbag for the keys. Producing nothing as she drew her hand out, she gave the bag an angry shake, and began to empty the contents onto the boot. Still unsuccessful, Michelle took a deep breath inwardly she restrained herself from her violent urges. She tried to think back to the last time she had them, and felt herself cringe as she looked towards the ignition. Sure enough, they were hanging there, almost tauntingly, where she had left them all those hours ago, when she had raced into CTU to wait for Tony to come back to her, after she had been informed that he was still alive.

The car being locked was the last straw. Michelle let her rage get the better of her; she began yell at the car for being a "stupid self locking vehicle" (among other profanities), only stopping as the sound of laughter reached her ears. She whirled around to find Tony leaning against the side of his own SVU, arms crossed, watching her with a very amused expression on his face.

"Don't you laugh at me Almeida_"_ she glared at him.

"Its not my fault you're amusing when you're pissed off" He grinned "Now, are you going to continue to abuse your car, or shall I give you a lift home?… you can deal with it tomorrow"

Half an hour later they were pulling up into the driveway of their old house, which now belonged to Michelle. Tony, always the gentleman, walked her to the door, and watched her retrieve the spare key from the usual pot plant, before finally pulling her into a bear hug.

"I'll let you get some sleep ok? I'll call you tomorrow so we can talk… properly" he said, emphasizing the last word so that she knew exactly whatit would be consisting of.

"Tony… I… well I don't want... I don't want to be alone in this house tonight. All I'm going to see is that car exploding, and I need you there to know that you're not... well you know…"

"Alright, I get the picture…but until we talk, I'm gunna sleep in the spare bedroom" He replied, with slight regret "we're gunna do this properly… ok?"

"But the spare bed doesn't have any pillows at the moment" she said, grasping onto straws.

"Chelle, im serious. This is important to me, and to our relationship.

"Fine" Michelle mumbled, feeling slightly disappointed but knowing better then to push her luck.

Hours later Michelle was tossing alone in her bed. She had slept a little in the beginning, but had since woken from nightmares. Feeling very lonely all of a sudden, she crawled out of bed and walked to her door, before pausing. Shaking her head and asking herself what she was doing, she tiptoed back to her bed and sat down, her mind racing. She didn't understand why she felt so nervous, after all it was only Tony, the Tony she had loved from first sight, the Tony that she had been married to for a couple of years. But yet there was a stampede of elephants stomping around in her stomach at the mere thought of going to him.

Finally, after sitting in an absolute terrified silence for what seemed like years, Michelle managed to banish her fears just enough to be able to stand up walk past her own door and across the hall to the door of the spare room. It was there that she again paused, listening to his deep breathing, before turning back and running back into the safety of her domain again. Scolding herself for acting like an immature schoolgirl, she turned around once more and walked confidently across the hall and into Tony's room.

Michelle smiled to herself as she saw Tony asleep on his back, his usual position. As quietly as possible she crept up to the bed and slid between the sheets, before finding her final resting spot by placing her head on his chest. Tony stirred and moved his arms around her, drawing her closer to him. She grinned as she realised that the saying was true: old habits do die hard.

The next morning, Tony was woken by pain of his stomach growling with hunger. Feeling slightly confused about his whereabouts, he took a few seconds for his eyes to focus on the ceiling. He couldn't help but smile as it finally dawned on him that he was at Michelle's house, but confusion took over once more as he tried to get out of bed. He finally looked down at his chest and discovered what was weighing him down. Shaking his head with amusement, he poked the sleeping bundle, before attempting to gently roll her off him. Michelle awoke and looked up at him, mumbling something that sounded distinctly like a "hi". Tony raised his eyebrows up at her.

" What happened to our agreement?" He asked, trying to sound irritated.

"Well…" she trailed off coyly, circling her fingers around his chest.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?"

Michelle sat up at this question. After getting comfortable by crossing her legs, she turned to face him. It seemed as though the moment had come at last.

"Well... you're on the right path to it, but you can't expect me to forgive you… or myself instantly. I…I just need time, I guess."

"Forgive yourself for what?" Tony asked with effort as he pushed himself up, leaning against the bed head. "You tried to make it work, but I pushed you away, I made a new relationship with alcohol. I can understand why you finally gave up, I just wish you hadn't"

" I know, but I shouldn't have, I should have stayed with you, I should have tried to take away the pain. You chose me over the nation, you went to jail for me, but I couldn't even stay with you during those tough times. I feel likesuch a coward, i meaneven yesterday, I nearly lost you because I couldn't do what you did for me. I was too scared to betray…"

"Hey, we do what we have to do" he interrupted "the important thing is that we are here together, right now. And nothing can change that. But I have to ask, why _did _you finally leave, like, what was the straw that broke the camels back?"

Michelle looked down at her hands, trying to hide the tears that were rapidly forming. After what seemed like an eternity, she answered in a small voice "I thought you hated me"

"You thought WHAT?… Oh Chelle, I could NEVER hate you" Tony reached out and tilted her head up so that she had no choice but to look him in the eyes, and into his soul.

" I know it seems stupid now, but at the time it really seemed like it. I thought that you resented me for being the reason that you were put in jail. I thought that's why you began to reject me, it was like you stopped caring for me,"

" Oh Chelle, how could you think that?" he asked wiping away an escaped tear with his thumb " I love you. Always have, and I always will. And I certainly don't regret choosing you over the country. Without you, there is no country, noworld as far as I'm concerned. It's just that you have to understand that it was hard in prison. I saw a lot of stuff that no one should have to see, and I did things in there that I'm not proud of. I had to be tough to make it through, and to make it back to you. Then when I came out, I was haunted by the memories. I was so ashamed, and I thought if I let you in, you'd be scared of the person I'd become that's why I drank so much; I wanted to forget it all."

Tony reached over and pulled her awkwardly into his lap, wiped away a few more stray tears and kissed her gently on the cheek before managing to get up the courage to start on the next sensitive topic.

" Chelle, I have to tell you something about Jen."

"Her full name and social security number?" she asked a little to hopefully.

"No sweetheart, you're not gunna kill her" he laughed. "It's just that I need you to know that the thing I had going with her was superficial. She may have been there when I needed help to pick up the pieces of your leaving, but I can assure you that I don't love her, hell I don't even like her that much. She's so scary sometimes that she reminds me of my old military matron. I mean the woman orders her clothes by colour" he shuddered at the thought.

"If she's a military matron, what do you think I am?" Michelle managed to say through fits of laughter.

"'It's a secret!"

"Ohh come on, tell me" she begged, her curiosity rising as he shook his head. She tried to ask again, but was silenced by him gently kissing her on the lips. She smiled as he broke away, and threw her arms around his neck. "I'll get over Jen eventually" she mumbled into his ear "as long as you promise never to see her again…

He pulled her closer to him and kissed her again, but this time it was a deeper, more passionate kiss that seemed to go on for hours, neither wanting to break it. It only ended when they were interrupted by Tony's cell.

"Uh oh…" he winced, mentally preparing himself for what was to come.

"It's the matron"


	2. tying up the loose ends

**Thanks for all the reviews guys! Much appreciated! And thanks for the people who alerted me to the fact that Ryan Chappelle is dead… no big loss, never really liked him anyway. However one forgets these things occasionally… so I fixed that for future readers! oh and just to clear up for a couple of people who where a bit confused, I know that Tony and Michelle were in the car together at the end of season 4 to drop Jack off… but they had to go back to CTU to debrief (in my storyline that is) and the car they were in was Tony's (I think, im an aussie so our steering wheels on the opposite side to the Americans.. confusion takes place when you think about it too much.. :P) anyway here's chapter 2, I hope you enjoy it, and please review, its nice to know that I actually have readers! Oh yeah, and I don't own any of the characters, sports teams, brands or labels that may come up, except for the ones I make up….**

CHAPTER 2 TYING THE LOOSE ENDS

Tony turned the key in the lock and opened the door, exposing his current living arrangements to Michelle. She wrinkled her nose slightly in distaste as the scent of lemon-fresh disinfectant reached her. It reminded her of the medical rooms in CTU, where she had been way too many times. The house itself was so clean that it was almost sterile… it seemed as though instead of eating chocolate like normal people when she was depressed, Jen cleaned.

The phone call with Jen hadn't been pleasant. Tony had remained as calm as possible in the beginning, trying to gently break the news to her that he was still in love with Michelle, his soul mate, and therefore it would be unfair for both himself and Jen to stay together in a relationship. Jen however, didn't take the news calmly and started to get bitter, shooting accusations at him, asking him if he had been using her for the sex only, and asking him how he could go back to that "backstabbing bitch of a woman". By the end of it the argument had escalated to disparaging heights, so that both sides were yelling at each other, Jen so much so that Michelle could hear every word she said through the phone and from the opposite side of the room. Finally Jen, who was used to getting her way with Tony, backed down in shock of losing the battle, and told him that he had an hour and 10 minutes to get all of his stuff out of her place. She didn't even let them have time for a shower.

Back in Jens apartment, Tony and Michelle were throwing his possessions vicariously into boxes. They had just finished the bookshelves in his bedroom, and had moved on to the wardrobe and draws, laughing at the hideous floral curtains Jen had made for his windows.

" I can't believe you let her put them up! If I remember rightly, you threatened to stop cooking if I brought floral into the house" Michelle chuckled

"Yeah, I know, but u didn't threaten to throw me out if I complained! Besides, you hate it just as much as I do, so you knew I'd never let you really starve…"

They continued this playful banter for a while before Tony tentatively brought up the issue of where he was going live now that he had been evicted. Not wanting to ask directly, he suggested that he find a storage unit until he could find somewhere to live.

"I thought it was a given that you were moving back in with me" Michelle replied, startled at the thought of him living somewhere else.

"Oh I knew it would happen be eventually, it's just that you said that you needed time, so I assumed that meant that we would be taking it slow" he said, watching her closely as she attacked his boxer draw.

" I said I need time to forgive, I've had enough time to know what its like to be without--" Michelle stopped mid sentence, pulling out a small box. "What's this?"

Tony slapped his forehead in self-aggravation as he realised his idiocy. The small wooden box, and the contents within it was something that he had never intended or expected Michelle to find. He knew at the time that he was being a sentimental sap, but he had never been able to throw it away. Originally he had just kept it so that he could pull it out when they were older, but once they had spilt up it had become something of a memory r that he could keep, as he could no longer have the real thing. He sighed in resignation as he watched her tackle with the lid.

Michelle laughed as the forces of gravity gave in, sending half of the box flying and causing her to stumble backwards. Balancing herself, she saw the single piece of cardboard that had floated out onto the floor. As she bent down to retrieve it, she smirked at the bear staring up at her, the Chicago Bear that she was forced to join rather then beat, as the only way to spend time with Tony in the football season was to become one of the cheer squad. Actually, she had soon learnt about Baseball as well, for Tony was also an avid cubs fan… he obviously had a thing about bears. She looked up at him inquisitively; not understanding why the ticket was so significant that it deserved a box.

"It's the ticket from the first game I took you to…It's the first time we… you know" He told her staring at the beige carpet.

Noticing Tony's obvious embarrassment, Michelle decided against teasing him about it, feeling that it would be hypocritical of her to do so anyway as she herself had her own sentiments of him at home. Instead she handed him both ticket and box, before continuing to empty the draws in a peaceful silence, each reflecting on the past. It was only when they had finally finished packing his stuff up Michelle looked around the now-empty room and grinned impishly.

"c'mon… let's steal the curtains"

Hours later, Michelle was getting ready for a well-deserved shower. She wove through the maze of boxes that littered the bathroom, for whilst Tony had managed to pack all his bathroom stuff into a single box, it seemed that he had decided to use the room as a storage room as he unpacked. She finally managed to reach the glass door and turned the taps on, opting to have a hotter shower then usual to try and loosen the muscles that had become increasingly tighter the past 49 hours. She sighed in pleasure as she stepped in and immersed herself in the near-boiling water.

After a good 17 minutes Michelle finally turned the taps to the right, cutting off the warmth. Feeling slightly dizzy from breathing in the hot steam, she managed to wrap a towel around herself before stumbling out of the shower. Not watching where she was going this time, she tripped over the one box that had Tony's toiletries in it, managing to break most of his glass aftershave/cologne bottles. The sickly stench of mixing perfume hit her and she began to feel extremely queasy and dizzy. A new strange sensation of ice crept through her body and she weakly called to Tony, before falling to the floor, her world going black.

Tony never heard Michelle calling for him, but he _had_ heard the crashing noise and then a dull thud. Rushing to the bathroom door, and pounded on it, his calls of "Michelle?" getting louder each time there was no response. Finally he burst through the door, thanking God that she hadn't locked the door. Noticing that she was on the floor near the towel racks, he knelt down beside her, shocked to see her a deathly white.

"Chelle? Can you hear me? What happened? Sweetheart?" he asked desperately

Michelle's eyelids flickered in response. Her surroundings were slowly coming into focus, and she became aware that she was on the floor, with someone leaning over her.

"Wha…why am I on the floor?" she questioned Tony weakly in a confused state.

"Come on sweetheart, let's get you out of here…can you stand?"

Michelle tried to sit up, but had to lean against the wall behind her, groaning slightly as blood rushed to her head, a brick of dizziness hitting her once more. Tony noticed this, shuffled closer to her and gently placed her arms around his neck and scooped her up in his arms, telling her to hold on. He carried her though to the bedroom, where he managed to clumsily pull back the bed covers with one arm. This was made considerably harder by Michelle, who, weak as she was, was having trouble holding on to him for laughter at his awkwardness. Not wanting to drop her, Tony inelegantly lay her down, getting tangled up in the towel as he did so. He covered her with the doona and sat next to her.

"Chelle, are you feeling alright? Should I call a doctor?"

"No no, I'm alright now, ….seriously, ill be ok" she added when he gave her a look of cynicism "I just feel a little lightheaded…"

"Mmm... k" he said, not entirely believing her, but knowing better to not push the issue. "But you're staying in bed for the rest of the day… and no… I don't care if you don't want to"

"fine" she muttered, pouting slightly "can I at least get some sort of clothing to put on?"

"what do you want? I'll get it for you"

"try the pajama draw… second from the bottom"

Michelle looked on in amusement as Tony hesitated before pulling out pink boxers and his old Cubs shirt. He then opened the top draw and pulled out some underwear, trying not to look at the other feminine items that lived there. He then chucked the bundle at her, feigning innocence at her reproving look when she discovered the very lacey boy-legs he had managed to find. Feeling it safer to leave the room, Tony went to acquire cleaning products so that he could tackle the bathroom.

Tony finally exited the spotless bathroom a good 20 minutes later to find Michelle asleep, one arm hanging over the side of the queen sized bed. He smirked at the sight and looked skywards, thinking that some things never changed. He went over to her and gently rolled her into a more comfortable position, pulling the covers higher around her sleeping frame. He was lost for a moment as he realised that the curls were back, and softly brushed them off her face, pausing to wind one around his fingers, like always.

**Well my friends, that's the end of that chapter! Sorry it took so long, but school started again yada yada… anyway the next chapter will be here asap, and a little warning… it wont be the most innocent of chapter :P anyway don't forget to review on your way out!**


	3. healing

**Hey guys, thanks for the awesome reviews, I'm glad you enjoying it! I'm sorry for taking FOREVER to post chapter 3, but after Tony died, there was just no motivation for me. But the mourning period has ended, and school hasn't been so hectic… so I got back on the phonetical horse and continued! Oh and sorry for ending it where I did in chapter 2, I know (as a few of you put it) it was evil but it was necessary for this chapter… so without further ado, heres the 'not-so-innocent' chapter three (need I remind you of the rating) so enjoy :P**

**Oh, and no, I haven't come into money, so I still unfortunately don't own 24, its plots or characters, or any other brands that may appear…**

Michelle rolled over sleepily, having just awoken. Eyes still glued shut; she flung her arm over, feeling around for the body that seemed to have disappeared. Feeling somewhat disgruntled by its absence, she finally, and reluctantly opened her eyes. Panicking slightly at the thought that it was all a dream, she pulled back the covers and leapt out of bed, only to trip over a pair of men's shoes. Whilst very painful, she couldn't help but smile.

Jumping slightly at a crashing sound coming from the direction of the kitchen, she ambled out of the bedroom to see what Tony had dropped. She entered to see him hard at work with a whisk, his back to her. She crept up behind him and wrapped her arms round his waist, laughing when he flinched slightly.

"Watcha making?" she asked, mumbling into his shoulder blade.

"Pancakes. The only thing I can make as you have NO perishable food in the house… tell me, what have you been eating the last year or so!" he replied in mock aggravation, before turning around so he was facing her.

"You know I can't cook that well, why would I bother with ingredients?"

"Can't cook that well? Sweetheart, it's a miracle you don't set your cereal on fire!

"Hey that's not-" she started, leaping into defence mode. She had to mumble the rest however, as he sealed his lips over hers, and when he finally broke away, she had completely forgotten about it.

"Now get out of my kitchen," He ordered, pointing to the door "I don't want scorch marks on _these_ walls as well!"

"That was one time, and it wasn't entirely my fault if you remember rightly!… c'mon can't I watch?"

"Well…" Tony started to relent "if you _promise _not to touch anything, then I spose you can... you'll have to sit over here though"

With that said, he picked her up like a six year old and placed her on the counter, well away from the stove. Warning her to behave with a single glare, he turned his back to her to open the fridge. In the split second he wasn't watching, her hand darted across the bench, and then into the cupboard underneath her, opening and closing the door as quietly as possible.

Tony turned back around, a bottle of milk in hand. He stared aimlessly around the benches for a few moments before turning to Michelle and glowering at her as she bit her cheeks to try to hide the smile.

"Give it back Michelle,"

"Give what back?" she asked, holding both hands out, feigning innocence

"You know perfectly well _what" _He replied, crossing his arms and looking thoroughly unimpressed. "Don't make me come over there and hurt you"

She laughed at this, for she knew that for all the kitchen utensils in the world, he couldn't ever intentionally physically hurt her… even during the time after prison he had never laid a finger on her.

Tony saw this laughter as a weakness in her defence. He quickly scanned the area around her, correctly guessed the cupboard that held the precious whisk hostage. He lunged towards her, and before she had realised what was happening, had bent down and had retrieved the whisk.

He stood up and made for the pancake mixture, but was stopped in his tracks by Michelle's legs snaking around his waist and gripping very tightly. He turned slightly so that he was once again facing her properly, and gave her an appraising look before she rested her arms on his collarbones and kissed him.

He gave up all thoughts of revenge and that moment and instead wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her closer to him so that he could feel her chest rising and falling against his own torso. The kiss deepened and his hands started to roam, first

drifting under the back of her t-shirt and then around to the thighs, stroking them dangerously high, so that his fingers brushed against the line of lace. She shuddered slightly at his touch and broke the kiss. Slowly, she guided Tony's hands up the front of her t-shirt enjoying the feel of his warm hands gliding across her soft skin.

Michelle started to unbutton his shirt, kissing the area of chest she exposed with each open button. Before she had got down to the second last button however, she felt his hands move out from under her clothing. Tony cupped her chin with this and slowly lifted her head up, and before she knew wat was happening, started to kiss her neck – her one weak area. She groaned in ecstasy as his lips pressed down on her skin, and unable to stand it any longer, she slid off the bench, and led him, by the hand, to the bedroom.

They had made it through the kitchen and into the doorway of the bedroom when Michelle suddenly felt resistance. She turned around to see the Tony had come to a standstill.

"Are you sure?" he muttered as they locked eyes

They stood staring at each other in silence, from opposite sides of the doorway for a few seconds, before Michelle reached over the threshold and grabbed 2 handfuls of shirt, pulling him over into her domain. He smirked at his little seductress as she kissed him again, undoing the last of the buttons. She tugged at the shirttails and it came off easily in her hands, before slithering onto the floor.

Tony then put his hands on her waist, and gathering the t-shirt, slowly ran them up the sides of her body, enjoying the soft moans he was creating. T-shirt finally off, and he started gliding his hands over her stomach, breasts and shoulders, tracing over old scars, and discovering the new ones that had appeared.

Michelle watched him and understood. He was remembering her, relearning her body, familiarising himself with the new marks that hadn't been there 18 months or so ago. She had not long to dwell on that matter though, for his hands had moved around to her back, and she shivered as they made the descent down, taking her boxers with him. She closed her eyes, goose bumps taking over her body, as he gently moved upwards, lightly caressing inner thighs.

Letting out a soft groan, she pulled him closer to her, and fumbled with his belt. Her

whole body felt electrically charged as he leant over and began kissing her shoulder, slowly making his way to her neck. Finally she managed to undo the buckle and sent his pants on their way. Tony stepped out of them, and, with the last barrier between them gone, swept her up in his arms, and lay her tenderly on the bed. Skin met skin, and they moved together, and soon both jumped over the edge, and into the abyss.

Still panting slightly, Tony reached over and pulled Michelle close to him. She sighed as she rested her head on his chest, thinking that this was how life was supposed to be. She snuggled down, fitting perfectly against his side. He in turn, hauled the doona over her shoulders, before wrapping his arms around her bare body. They both smiled, for if something's never changed, this was one of them. Tony closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth that radiated off her. With Jen, it had never been this way. After they had sex, she refused to stay with him, instead going back to her own bedroom. She hated being cuddled, or protected for some reason. But not Michelle. It wasn't that his angel was needy as such, and she could definitely protect herself. No it was because she wanted to be loved, and Tony knew exactly how to show her.

He was brought back to reality by a faint murmur.

"I love you too sweetheart"

**Well guys, thats chapter 3... its my first attempt at this sorta thing, so dont be to harsh! but yes, please review... i do enjoy getting mail in my inbox!**


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